Buddha's Day of Enlightenment celebrate

MEGAMENDUNG, Bogor (JP): About 2,000,000 Buddhists gathered midnight at the Sadapaributha Buddhist Center, Wednesday, to observe Waisak, Buddha's Day of Enlightenment.

The congregation, affiliated to the Pandita Sabha Buddha Dharma Indonesia Foundation, commemorated three important events in Buddha's life: his birth, his enlightenment and his death.

At 11:30 pm the Buddhists held a procession and then held a ceremony until 1 a.m.

Speaking before the ceremony, the association's chairwoman, Herwindra Aiko Senosoenoto, said Buddhist priests should pay attention to the plight of their disciples.

"The success of priests is not judged by the how many followers attended their monasteries," she said.

She also reminded Buddhists to shun materialism in a society where there is a large social gap.

She said Buddhist leaders should play a greater role in bringing their followers to a less materialistic lifestyle in accordance with the teachings of Sidharta Gautama, who was born about 563 B.C.

The importance of making the coming general election a success was not overlooked and the Ministry of Religious Affairs' Gusti Bagus Lingga said the success of the general election was also the responsibility of Buddhists.

The Waisak commemoration was also a forum for the foundation's youth to review their cultural activities.

The group's cultural groups include the foundation's Eksotika Karmawibangga Indonesian dance group which performed before the ceremony.

Borobudur

It was also reported that the center of Waisak festivities was at Central Java's Borobudur Temple.

Unlike other years, there was no long march from Mendut Temple to Borobudur in the two-day Waisak ceremony which started Wednesday.

The Minister of Religious Affairs, Tarmizi Taher, attended the ceremony along with 3,000 Buddhists.

The highlight of the Wednesday's ceremony at Borobudur Temple was the receiving of holy fire and water from two places in Central Java.

On Thursday, the ceremony was held at the Mendut and Borobudur temples from 6 a.m to 4:13 p.m.

Several rituals were held before the Puja Bhakti prayer at 2 p.m. at Borobudur.

The minister said that Buddhists and followers of other religions should maintain national unity and make the general election a success.

Thousands of Buddhists also took part in Waisak ceremonies at 16 monasteries in Denpasar, Bali.

Buddhists from Denpasar and surrounding areas thronged two big monasteries, Dharma Bratha and Dharmayana, in Kuta. (03/38)